Cable-railway system



T. L. JOHNSON.

CABLE RAILWAY SYSTEM.

(No Model.)

Patented May 5, 1885 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOM L. JOHNSON, OF OLEV ELAND, OHIO.

CABLE-RAI LW AY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,140, dated .May 5, 1885 Application filed August 28, 1834. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TOM L. JoHNsoN, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Oable-Railway System, which invention or improvement is fully set forth and illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to simplify the construction of cable railways and to equalize the wear of traction-cables, and it more particularly relates to that class of cable railways in which the cables run in small cable-ways, and are provided with cross stops or bars for the propulsion of the cars by contact with atraction-disk, as distinguished from that system of cabletraction in which grips are used to directly grasp or grip the cable, and which system necessitates the use of large tunnels.

The invention consists of the means, combinations, and parts hereinafter described, as

with a rotary traction-disk attached to the car,

by contact between which disk and said cable the car is propelled. Such disk is intended to be automatically disconnected and reconnected to [its cable at the points in the line where two cables cross each other by devices not herein shown, but which I reserve for another application or applications for other Letters Patent. The pulleys E E are all journaled below the bottom of the cable-way indicated' by the line 2, Fig. 3, suitable pits, as F, being made below the cable-way for said pulleys, so that they may revolve partly within the cable-way and partly within said pits.

In Fig. 1 the cable is given a twist, as shown at w, betwecn one of the carrying-pulleys E and the driving-pulleys I I, so that after ing over and around said driving-pulleys lb returns to the opposite carrying-pulley with its reversed side in contact therewith, thus putting equal wear upon each side of the cable. The pulleys I I are the ordinary driving-pulleys used for traction-cables, and are provided with any suitable tension device of ordinary construction, as shown at 10 W.

In Fig. 3 the method of setting the carrying-pulleys and adjusting them to the change in grade of track is shown, which method and its advantages will be hereinafter specially described and set forth in the following general description.

In that class of cable railways in which the propulsion of the cars is effected by means of stops on the cable, a cable-way is preferably of small internal section, owing to the econ omy of construction thus secured, and to the further fact that said cable-way not having common to the other systems, its size is deter- .mined principally by considerations necessary to the passage'of the cable alone. In such a small cable-way it is manifestly impossible to provide for any large amount of internal mechanism.

In the use of cables for the propulsion of cars the cable is supported by a series of carrying-pulleys, over which it runs. Of neces sity the weight of the cable causes more or less dip between said pulleys, and this dip constantly varies with the change inlocal tension caused by the approach of a car to any given point. Moreover, as the cable is continually in motion, this varying tension causes a series of vibrations. It has further been demonstrated that these vibrations reduce in intensity as they approach the carryingpuI- leys, ceasing entirely at said carrying-pulleys, and for a few feet on each side of the same. In considering the class of cable railways to which this invention particularly relates, there are two points to be" borne in mind. One is, that the cable is never lifted off the carryingpulleys by the mechanism connecting the same with the cars, as is the case with the other class using grips and large tunnels. The other point is, that the cable-way is too small to allow of the insertion of internal pulleys to way, as the case may be.

change the location of said cable at any given point.

It has been found in practice where a single cable is used, either with or without stops, that the cable is subject to continuous twists during its passage through the tunnel or cable- Where, however, a double cable provided with cross-stops is used, such cable is guided in a true plane by the carrying-pulleys and such twist is impossible. As a. result the said cable wears continuously upon one side during its passage over the pulleys; but by putting a complete twist in said cable between any two pulleys at such point as thebable is under tension, the cable is reversed once in its circuit of travel. The point at which this twist in the cable is effected must be under sufficient tension to overcome the resistance of the cable to said twist, for in no other way could such twist be localized. It is manifestly impossible for such twist to travel with the cable, as it would interfere with proper connection with the cars and unduly wear both cable and carrying-pulleys. By twisting the cable under the conditions described the wear of the cable is on one side, say, on one circuit, and on the other side on the other circuitthus equalizing the wear upon the cable. It is preferable to effect this twist at some point near the driving-engine, where the main tension-machine is located, and where the pulleys used to secure the entry into and departure from the main building of the cable-plant can be used for this purpose without extra expense.

As has been heretofore pointed out, the cable-way applicable to'the system herein treated of is preferably very small. The carrying-pulleys upon which the cable rests are not contained within the cable-way proper, as they are too large to be so located, but are located in special receptacles or chambers provided for this purpose, their peripheries projecting through spaces in the bottom of the cable-way, also provided, Fig. 3. It is manifest,-therefore, that the weight of the cable must at all times be in excess of any tendency to lift out of the cable-way at such points as' the cable-way runs up grade. Were this not so the tension of a cable passing over a high grade would tend to lift the cable at the point or'angle where the grade connects with the straight or horizontal part of the track; hence at these points special provision must be made for this emergency.

In the system herein described it will be seen that at the points where such angles exist the location and arrangements of the carryingpulleys shown effect the desired purpose. These are specially described as follows: In such cases, before and after reaching the angular point made by the intersection y of the grade-lines Z Z, the carrying-pulleys are dropped to varying distances below said gradelines, the two pulleys 2 2 nearest to said angular point being the lowest beneath the gradeline, the next two in the series being slightly higher, and so on until what may be called the determining-pulleys (the extreme outer ones) are reached. These pulleys 1 1, Fig. 3, are those nearest to the true grade-line, and are located either at said gradeline or preferably a little above said grade-line. These pulleys of the series, for change of grade, are placed farthest from the angular point made by the intersection of the grades. A parabolic curve would pass tangent to the peripheries of the pulleys forming said series.

scope of small vertical depth of variation permitted by the internal section of cable-Way can be secured an almost unlimited weight of cable, whereas there is nothing to prevent the intermediate pulleys of the series being placed sufficiently close to maintain the least possible dip between the same, thus enabling the said pulleys to be located with a smaller margin between their peripheries and the bottom of the cable-way without danger of the cable striking the bottom of the cable-way. Even with a very small variation between the peripheries of the intermediate and the determining pulleys the tendency of the cable to lift above the angular point, which is in the center of the series, is inevitably resolved to the two determining-pulleys.

Having thus fully described my said cablerailway system and its construction and advantages, as of my invention, I claim 1. In a cable-railway system, in combina tion with two guidepulleys, a tension pulley or device, and an endless double cable provided with driving cross bars or stops, and twisted one convolution between said pulleys, whereby the twist in the cable is localized and said cable caused to wear alternately on reversesides, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a cable-railway system, in combination with a cable-way and cable therein at changes of grade of track, two extreme or determining pulleys located with reference to said cable-way so that their peripheries support the cable at or a little above the established grade-lines on either side of the angular point formed by the intersection of said grade-lines, and two or more intermediate pulleys located so as to support the cable below said grade-lines, whereby the weight of the cable is so distributed upon said pulleys that its minimum dip under maximum tension is always maintained below said angular point, while the cables contact with the bottom of the cable-way is at all times prevented, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

/Vitnesses: TOM L. JOHNSON.

FREMONT HILL, ENooH L. STRIcKER.

By this means it is evident that within the ICC IIO 

